


Talk to Me

by PsychoSister



Series: Falling Like SteelDominos [2]
Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)
Genre: (but it's only one scene), Background Character Death, Dominic Domino, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gun Violence, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Police Brutality, SteelbeakxDomino, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but it's not that serious, mentions of - Freeform, not my OC, some mild body horror with Steelbeak's beak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23693068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoSister/pseuds/PsychoSister
Summary: It’s the night Steelbeak has been waiting weeks for: His and Domino’s first date. Can he make it through the night without making a fool out of himself? Will Domino approve of the new sides his partner will show him? Or will the evening end in disaster?
Relationships: Steelbeak (Disney)/Original Character(s), Steelbeak/Dominic Domino
Series: Falling Like SteelDominos [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706203
Comments: 16
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eleanorose123](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleanorose123/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steelbeak prepares for his date with Domino...and remembers his first attempt at dating his partner that ended with less than perfect results..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third fic for my 100 Follower Fic Giveaway! This one is a direct sequel to one of my previous fics, Don’t Cost a Thing. This story stars one of my all time favorite OC’s, Dominic Domino, and is written for his creator, the amazing and talented @eleanorose123 / @thefriendlyfour . Enjoy! ^.^

_“Meet me at my car at 8:15 and wear something nice.” Domino turned his head to look at Steelbeak from over his shoulder with one eye and a charming smile on his face. “Oh, and for the record-” He winked at the taller bird. “I like to go dutch on the first date.” He turned away and walked off. “See you tonight.”_

That was what Steelbeak had been left with when he’d parted ways with his partner earlier in the afternoon. They had just finished recounting a successful mission to High Command and, after a very long and exhausting day, Steelbeak had been fully prepared to go home and sleep the rest of his day away.

His plans for the day ended up going completely awry, however, when he found the loon waiting for him at his car. The conversation they’d had seemed fairly routine, at first. Domino thanked Steelbeak for getting his coat fixed up, they chatted about the tailor Steelbeak took it to, Domino asked if he’d made any plans for the night, Steelbeak laughed as he told him no…and then the other man had caught him completely off guard by suddenly asking him out to dinner.

The image of that charming smile and the way the darker bird had winked at him had Steelbeak’s heart pounding in his chest all the way home- both from excitement and, admittedly, from nervousness. He’d been so worked up by the time he got to his apartment (thinking about how Domino was in the one right next to his own certainly didn’t help matters at all) that he felt practically wired while still being completely exhausted. It was like he’d downed three espressos after running a marathon!

Pacing back and forth through his bedroom to help get his thoughts together, Steelbeak realized that if he was going to make it through the night without making an absolute fool out of himself (he’d done enough of that already when he’d tripped over his words after being asked out earlier- seriously, what kind of answer was“I..uh…yeah..?”?!), then he needed to treat this like a mission and come up with a game plan.

Step 1: Sleep

Not wanting to mess things up by being too tired to pay attention or possibly passing out later, Steelbeak quickly changed out of his suit and into some spare pajamas to make himself as comfortable as possible as he slept. To help ensure he ACTUALLY slept and his racing heartbeat and rampant thoughts of a certain gorgeous red-eyed aquatic fowl wouldn’t keep him up, he downed a couple of sleeping pills. They did the trick and he was out like a light by the time his head hit the pillow.

Step 2: Wake Up

Knowing that getting back up from the relaxing comfort of his mattress would be the harder part, Steelbeak had thought ahead before he’d fallen asleep and set not one, not two, but THREE alarms to make sure he got up in time. Just as he’d predicted, he’d slept through the first one without even realizing it. The second one had been enough to rouse him for a brief second and turn it off, but he’d fallen back to sleep right afterwards. The third one did the trick not only because he’d set the loudest one for last, but because he’d left it over on his vanity across the room. The incessant ringing annoyed him enough to wake him up and the distance required to reach it forced him to get out of bed so he could turn it off.

Step 3: Clean Up

With the fire-fight in the bar last night, the bleeding corpse and dirty floor he’d been sandwiched between for safety, and the ultra-hard nap he’d just taken, he looked like something the cat dragged in, ate, coughed up, and buried six feet under. Steelbeak couldn’t help but cringe when he caught the sight of himself in his lit up triple-mirrored vanity. He looked absolutely appalling and, even if he hadn’t been about to go out on a date with the guy he’d been trying to win over for the past seven weeks, he would have still opted for a shower after seeing all of his dirty and matted feathers. He ran a hot shower for himself, making sure afterwards that he was properly preened and had an acceptable amount of his favorite cologne on for good measure.

Step 4: Get Dressed

Steelbeak, now comfortably draped in a purple lounging robe, walked over to his large walk-in closet and looked through an assortment of shirts, slacks, and suits that would put most small boutiques to shame. While he normally prided himself on his collection of designer outfits, in this case the (honestly excessive) amount of clothing was overwhelming with the sheer number of choices he had. He ruled out any of his usual white and red suits- Domino saw him in those all the time. He did have that nice little black-tie number in the back that he saved for special occasions-

Oh…

Wait…

Steelbeak groaned and brought a hand to his forehead, smacking himself slightly and closing his eyes. “O-ho no. NOT that one.” He lamented. “Not after **_last time_** …”

That was the suit he wore the first time he went out to dinner with Domino..and that was an absolute DISASTER he desperately wished he could **_forget_** …

_It had been a few days since their last mission together. During their mission at a bar to make their target unknowingly swallow a tracking device, Steelbeak had suggested that they make a game out of the assignment and wagered both the tab for that night’s drinks as well as the bill for dinner the next night. Unfortunately for Steelbeak, Domino had been the one to succeed and win the bet that night. Double unfortunately for him, that was also the night that Steelbeak realized he had feelings for his partner. After spending a few days thinking it over, and being informed by the other bird that he was looking to collect on the dinner he was owed (a few minor missions kept pushing the date back until they both finally had a night off again), the rooster decided that he might as well take advantage of the opportunity and actually DO something about his recently discovered attraction and, if everything went right, he might even be able to turn this into an unofficial date._

_Steelbeak was dressed to the nines in preparation for the occasion, wearing his best designer black swallow-tail tuxedo with diamond-studded cufflinks, a white diamond-folded pocket square, and polished black dress shoes. He’d gotten down to his car early so he’d be ready whenever his partner showed up and he had his special surprise waiting in the passenger’s seat. He was **ready** for this._

_The elevator leading to the parking deck dinged, catching the rooster’s attention. The doors opened and he saw just the man he’d been waiting for walk out. Instead of his usual outfit, Domino was dressed in a simple but well-fitting red button-up shirt that matched his eyes perfectly._

_Steelbeak swallowed down a lump that had suddenly formed in his throat at the sight. It was so stupid- it was just a different shirt, for goodness’ sake! It should NOT have made his cheeks heat up the way they did. He was **not** ready for this._

_“Good to see you on time for-” Domino had been adjusting one of his sleeves while walking up to the car, barely taking notice of the other bird’s outfit until he was closer. When he did finally see the suit, though, he paused to look the rooster over slowly from head to toe. “That outfit is certainly…something..”_

_Steelbeak grinned down at the loon, hoping it didn’t look as forced as it felt. “What can I say? I felt like lookin’ EXTRA good tonight.” He posed with one hand on his hip and ran the other over his comb, trying to regain some of his usual confidence._

_Looking back at the darker bird and his unimpressed expression took that confidence and snatched it right back. “Uh huh.” He said in a bored tone of voice before looking at the car. “If you’re done, I would like to go eat.” Talk about knocking the wind right out of his sails…_

_“Y’know, it wouldn’t kill ya t’ have some fun once in a while, Deedee.” Steelbeak grumbled, but moved away from his spot against the passenger side door._

_“Funny, I have plenty of fun- it just doesn’t usually involve YOU.” Domino moved to grab the car door’s handle, but was surprised when a lighter-feathered hand beat him to it. “..?” He looked up at the taller bird with a curiously raised brow._

_The answer he got in return was a wink as Steelbeak opened the door for him. “Lemme get that for ya, red-eyes.” That had to count for something; the dames Steelbeak picked up always liked it when he-_

_Instead of looking charmed by the “gentlemanly” gesture as his previous “dates” had, Domino carelessly walked past him and got into the vehicle. “If you don’t want me touching your car, just say so.”_

_“Wha-? No, I-!” Steelbeak shook his head and sighed, closing the door behind him. “Forget it..”_

_By the time he’d walked around to his side and gotten in, Domino had discovered the small silver-paper wrapped box with a red bow on top of it that had been conveniently placed on the side of his seat. “What’s this?”_

_Steelbeak side-eyed the loon while buckling his seatbelt. “Well, most people call it a ‘PRESENT’, wise guy.”_

_“I **know** what a present is.” Red eyes gave him a look that was already clearly annoyed with the other’s antics. “ **Why** is it here?”_

_“Can’t a guy treat his partner t’ somethin’ nice once in a while?” Steelbeak asked with a shrug, trying to come off as cool and indifferent- that kind of attitude usually had his other dates fawning over him in no time._

_“……” Domino still didn’t look convinced (or even remotely impressed), but he did at least unwrap the box and open it up. “Cufflinks?” He asked while pulling out the diamond studded cufflinks and examining them in the light._

_“Same place I get mine.” Steelbeak held up his arm, turning it to flash the matching set on his own sleeves. “Nice t’ feel classy now an’ then, right?”_

_“Oh, so my usual attire isn’t ‘classy’ enough?” Domino dropped the expensive cufflinks into a pocket on his shirt and set the box aside for the time being._

_“Wha-?! No, that’s not what I-!” Steelbeak floundered with his words, trying to salvage what he could of his apparent blunder of a gift. “I just thought, y’know, they’d be nice t’ have if ya ever wanna dress up for somethin’ big- like a party, y’know?” How was he making this big of a fool out of himself already?! They hadn’t even left the parking lot yet!_

_“Oh, yes, because I am **definitely** the partying type.” Domino said with a roll of his eyes. Before Steelbeak could try to defend or justify himself further, the other bird waved him off dismissively and leaned back in his seat. “Let’s just go already.”_

_Well…that was a GREAT start to the evening._

_Steelbeak’s hopes of the night getting any better went down more and more as time went on. All of his attempts to start a conversation on the drive over were shot down with short, one or two word replies that didn’t leave him much to work with. None of the music he tried to put on got a positive reaction, either (he’d gone through all of his usual go-to mood-setting stations- jazz, rock, even one that did nothing but love songs). By the time they’d pulled up to the restaurant and been seated at their table, their dinner felt more like a death sentence than a date._

_Over and over again, Steelbeak tried to strike up a conversation with his partner, but the small talk just ended up feeling forced and awkward (“So, how ya been lately?” “You should already know- you saw me at work this afternoon.” “Seen any good movies lately?” “No, not really.” “Read any interestin’ books?” “Yes, but nothing you would’ve read.”)- he just couldn’t catch a break. His jokes all fell flat, his snide comments went unanswered, and Domino wasn’t really contributing anything for him to work with. Nothing he tried was working at all!_

_Feeling frustrated and more than a little annoyed by the whole ordeal, Steelbeak ended up downing a couple glasses of wine over the course of their meal in an attempt to drown his aggravation. Unfortunately, that only served to loosen his tongue a bit more than he would have liked.._

_“Y’know what your problem is?” He asked after what had to have been (at least) his third glass of wine._

_Domino, who had just finished the last of his meal, glanced up at the other bird. “No. PLEASE, tell me.” He leaned back in his seat, gesturing for him to continue._

_Unaware of how he was only digging his own grave, Steelbeak set his emptied glass down on the table. “Ya don’t let no one in. Ya got more walls up than friggin’ Fort Knox- and three times the security.” He rolled his eyes, completely oblivious to the way the darker bird’s own eyes narrowed the more he spoke. “If ya ever DO let someone in, it’s just long ‘nough t’ see the surface. Moment someone tries t’ get any deeper than that, BOOM! The walls come up an’ ya shut ‘em out.” He leaned his chin into his palm with a frustrated sigh. “Gotta be lonely livin’ like that…”_

_“I am **so** touched by your concern for my social life.” The other man’s cold tone of voice was dripping with sarcasm, but it wasn’t until he’d started to get up from the table that Steelbeak looked at him again. “However, I think you’ve misunderstood one thing:” The red-eyed glare being sent his way was like having a bucket of ice water poured on his head, sobering the rooster up instantly. “My ‘walls’ only come up around someone who **isn’t worth my time**. If someone sees them that often, then perhaps the problem is with **them** , not me.” And, with his point made, he began to walk away from the table._

_Steelbeak shot to his feet, trying to grab his wallet from his pocket. “Hey, wait up! Lemme just pay the tab and we can-”_

_“No, take your time.” The loon didn’t even bother looking back at him as he spoke. “I’ll take a cab home. Thanks for the food.” Steelbeak had never heard a thank you that sounded more like an insult, but that was definitely the feeling he got from it._

_“……” With a resigned sigh, he collapsed back into his seat once his partner was gone, looking down at the empty dishes and drained glasses. “..Fine mess ya got yourself in, huh..?” He asked himself, pressing his face into his hands as he lamented the entire evening._

_Earning his partner’s attention would only be an uphill battle from here on out…_

Steelbeak made a mental note to BURN that suit the first chance he got- he wanted to wipe the slate clean and forget that whole night ever even **happened**.

“Okay, NOT gonna think about that..” He sighed, shoving the accursed outfit back behind several others so he didn’t have to look at it anymore. That night had been terrible. He’d tried so hard to impress the loon and got stone-walled at every possible turn. “Things’re different now.” He muttered, remembering how they’d been getting along better the past couple days. “What changed..?” While he understood that expensive gifts weren’t the way to get his partner’s attention, he was still trying to figure out at exactly what point their relationship took a turn in the right direction. “Not like I’ve been tryin’ that hard-”

He stopped, blinked twice, and allowed himself to laugh at how clueless he was. The answer was so _obvious_ that he’d missed it:

He’d been trying **_too_** hard. They’d started getting along better after their time in the break room the other day. Steelbeak had given the loon half of his lunch and the two spent their whole break talking. That hadn’t been hard at all- it had been surprisingly easy to talk to him, crack sarcastic jokes, or just sit next to each other in comfortable silence.

Well, if trying too hard was what drove Domino away the first time, then maybe Steelbeak needed a more natural approach. With that in mind, he grabbed a much simpler outfit and walked over to his vanity to get ready for the night.

As he did so, though, he saw something sitting on the edge of the vanity counter and a confident grin spread over his beak. “If natural’s what red eyes wants, then it’s natural he’s gonna get.”

This time, he **_would_** be ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone was curious: Yes, Dominic did realize what Steelbeak’s intentions were in the flashback, and he was stone-walling him on purpose because he really wasn’t into Steelbeak’s over the top, artificial, flashy way of doing things xP


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dominic picks Steelbeak up for their date. On their way to the restaurant, he gets to see a new side of his partner that he hadn’t expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date night begins! The outfits I have them wearing for the rest of the night actually came from [**this comic**](https://thefriendlyfour.tumblr.com/image/187770167807) drawn by Eleanorose123.

Dominic exited the elevator into the underground parking deck, feeling refreshed after taking a few hours to rest and relax before getting ready for the night. He was dressed in a button up shirt that was black around the torso with light purple sleeves and a dark purple scarf wrapped around his neck. His usual clothes would have been more than appropriate for this outing, but, seeing as he’d called it a date, he felt he should change things up a little bit.

As he reached his car (a black two-seater Aston Martin One-77 Q-series with a red and black interior- it was a pretty expensive vehicle, but he’d gotten lucky and “found” it after the previous owner met with a rather unfortunate “accident” involving mysteriously bursting into flames), he saw a rooster dressed in black slacks held up by a light purple belt with a gleaming silver buckle, black suede loafers, and a button-up shirt with a color that reminded him of red wine with its reddish purple hue leaning against the side of his vehicle. Just as he was about to ask the man to move, familiar dark eyes looked down at him and the rooster grinned. “Whattaya know? We match.”

“?!” Dominic’s eyes widened to a comical degree and he almost dropped the keys in his hand. That voice, those eyes, that was-?! “Steelbeak..?” He asked tentatively, looking him over from head to toe.

“You expectin’ someone else I should know ‘bout, Deedee?” The other bird gave him a smirk that he was all too familiar with, but it felt odd seeing it without the usual gleam of dangerously sharp metal accompanying it.

The man in front of him was most definitely his arrogant, over-confident, smart-mouthed partner, but Dominic hadn’t recognized him at first without his namesake prosthetic beak. Instead, the taller fowl now had a surprisingly normal looking dark yellow beak like a regular chicken.

“Credit where it’s due,” Dominic began after composing himself, giving Steelbeak an appreciative glance from head to toe. “You caught me off guard..and cleaned up nicely.” He finished his assessment by looking up at the taller bird approvingly with a wink.

He spotted a bit of red under Steelbeak’s light cheek feathers, but the other bird just grinned and winked back at him. “You ain’t lookin’ too shabby yourself, red eyes.” He hooked his thumb behind himself to point at the loon’s car. “So, we goin’ for seafood or just stayin’ here complimentin’ each other all night? Not that I’d mind _that_ much if we went with the second option.”

Oh, this was going to be **fun**.

“Who says we can’t do both?” A smirk slipped easily onto the loon’s dark beak and he gave his partner one last provocative glance before moving to the driver’s side of the vehicle.

* * *

The trip to the restaurant was a bit of a drive, but it was surprisingly pleasant. The two agents spent the majority of the ride there teasing and flirting with each other- sometimes seriously, sometimes more jokingly just to make one another laugh.

At one point, though, the radio (which had mostly been left on for background noise), faded to static. Dominic started idly turning the dial in search of a new station while they were stopped at a light, and, to his surprise, the man beside him perked up at a particular tune.

“Wait, go back.” Steelbeak said while looking at the small screen. When the loon did as he was asked, a surprisingly soft smile spread across the rooster’s beak. “I like this one.”

The first few chords registered in Dominic’s mind and he blinked in surprise. “I didn’t know they played this on the radio..”

Steelbeak looked at the other bird with that same smile. “Ya know it too? This station’s pretty good- this is ‘round the time they take requests. Someone must’ve phoned it in.” He closed his eyes, jumping into the song right on the first line. “ _Game after game we play. Our twisted snakes an’ ladders. Time for the rules t’ change_ … _You’re in my arteries. You’re boltin’ through my body. I’ll never be the same_ ….” His right arm was resting against the door beside him and his fingers had begun tapping along to the notes in a surprisingly accurate rhythm. (Did he know how to play piano? Dominic would have to remember to ask him later) “ _So why won’t ya taaaaaaaalk t’ me?_ … _Why won’t you just taaaaaaa~lk t’ me?_ … _There’s a universe inside your head. Constellations of the things ya left unsaid. Taaaaalk t’ me, or watch me leave_ …”

“…” Dominic found himself staring before realizing that the light had changed, forcing him to keep his eyes on the road as he continued driving. He was secretly glad the other man hadn’t caught him staring- he wasn’t sure what he would’ve said if he’d been called out for it…

Steelbeak, oblivious to the secret looks and peripheral glances he was still receiving, continued quietly singing along with the radio. “ _Wave after wave of your meaningless conversation- changin’ the subject again_ … _Are you ever gonna wake up? Are you ever gonna wake up? Or are ya gonna let me just walk awaaa~y?_ ” His voice wasn’t as smooth or angelic as the singer on the radio (not anywhere close), but there was something so genuinely heartfelt about the rooster’s quiet singing that stirred something in Dominic’s chest as he listened. “ _All ya need t’ do is just taaaaaalk t’ me._ _Why won’t you just taaaaaaa~lk t’ me?_ … _There’s a universe inside your head. Constellations of the things ya left unsaid. Taaaaalk t’ me_ …” He opened his eyes again, gazing out through the windshield into the starry night sky with a tender, genuine smile that Dominic was lucky enough to catch while they were stopped at another light. “ _You will bite your tongue ‘til it bleeds, hangin’ by the skin of your own teeth. Silence is your loudest scream. I dunno why you’re hidin’_.”

Dominic wasn’t sure what motivated him to join in. Maybe it was the way the other bird’s voice sounded singing one of his favorite songs. Maybe it was the way he gazed up at the stars so serenely. Or maybe it was the way that smile, which looked so much softer than the usual smirks and grins he was used to seeing from the chief officer, warmed his heart a little.

“ **You will bite your tongue until it bleeds, hanging by the skin of your own teeth! Silence is your loudest scream! I don’t know why you’re hidiiiiiii~ng**!” Dominic’s eyes were on the road once again, but he could _feel_ the other man looking at him. A quick peek told him that a bright, genuinely happy smile accompanied the stare he was receiving. That smile was really too infectious for its own good and he couldn’t help but smile as well. “ **Why won’t you taaaaaaaalk to me?** … **Why won’t you just taaaaaaa~aalk to me?** … **There’s a universe inside your head. Constellations of the things you left unsaid. Taaaaalk to me**.” The few glances he snuck of his passenger let him know that the gaze on him was nothing short of adoring, and it motivated him to give everything he had for his impromptu performance. “ **Why won’t you taaaaaaaalk to me?!** … **Why won’t you just taaaaaaa~aalk to me?!** … **There’s a universe inside your head! Constellations of the things you left unsaid! Taaaaalk to me!** ”

Steelbeak joined him for the final verse, their voices harmonizing in a way that certainly wouldn’t earn them a recording contract anytime soon, but that felt perfect and right in that moment.

“ ** _Game after game we play_** … ** _Our twisted snakes and ladders_** … ** _Time for the rules to change_** …”

They waited out the last few seconds of the song, both of them enjoying the feeling of calmness and serenity that had overtaken them. The atmosphere within the vehicle had changed- what was once an air of playfulness and bantering was now something deeper and far more meaningful.

Steelbeak was eventually the one to break the serene silence between them. “Wow..didn’t know I was performin’ for a pro.”

Dominic couldn’t help the soft chuckle that escaped his beak at the compliment. “Hardly- I actually don’t sing that often.”

“Really? That’s a shame-” The other bird’s smile was full of adoration as he spoke. “-‘cause you’ve got one of the prettiest voices I’ve ever heard.”

For the first time in a long time, Dominic felt his cheeks heat up and was grateful for his dark feathers that easily hid the blush spreading across them. It was honestly a little embarrassing, getting flustered over such a simple compliment- they’d been flirting since they’d left their apartment complex, for goodness’ sake!

But…maybe that was exactly _why_ it got to him so much: It was a genuine, sincere compliment, not just a playful flirt.

“…Thanks.” He managed to say with a small smile on his beak. “For what it’s worth, yours isn’t too bad, either.”

“That means a lot comin’ from a natural pop star like _you_.” Dominic glanced over long enough to see the rooster wink at him and it made him smile more. Looking ahead of him again, he could see the restaurant down the street.

Tonight was already turning out to be more enjoyable than he’d imagined and they hadn’t even sat down to dinner yet…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for this part I consulted Eleanorose123 to get an idea for both Domino’s car and appropriate music for this scene. For the car, an aston martin seemed appropriate as it would be sleek and stylish while not looking as over the top as Steelbeak’s flashy golden car xD After doing a bit of research, I found [**this really nice looking one**](https://supercars.agent4stars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Aston-Martin-One77-QSeries.jpg) that’s black on the outside with a red and black interior that seemed perfect for him x3
> 
> As for the music, Lauren Aquilina was sited as having a few songs that really resonated with Domino’s character. The song [**Talk to Me**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTBl30xM34Y) was too beautiful and too perfect for the general mood and theme of the fic NOT to use it, so I not only made it the song they sang together, but the title of the story as a whole xD


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They’ve reached the restaurant and everything’s going great so far!…So why is Steelbeak so nervous about messing everything up? Maybe Domino can help him loosen up a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene was so much fun to write- I love writing date stories far too much x3

As far as Steelbeak was concerned, the ride to the restaurant had been a complete success. Flirting with Domino had been easy, natural, and fun- and that stroke of luck with the song on the radio had resulted in a surprisingly romantic moment that he honestly couldn’t have topped even if he’d planned it himself. They’d been seated quickly without having to wait, and had even gotten a great table by one of the windows with a stunning view of the moonlit bay in a corner of the restaurant with no one else around. All things considered, it was a great start to the night.

Which, unfortunately only made him more anxious about doing something to mess it all up.

He kept trying to tell himself that things were different this time- that things between him and Domino were **better** now- but, in the back of his mind, he kept thinking about how all of his attempts at conversation last time they went out to eat had ultimately messed everything up and left him with nothing but a bill to pay and quiet, lonely car ride home. It was a stupid thing to worry about, and he knew it, but he was so completely out of his element that it left him feeling more than a little unnerved.

It wasn’t the going out part he wasn’t used to, mind you. He’d gone out on plenty of “dates” before and those had gone well enough to earn him several “girlfriends” that were so charmed by him that they’d wait literally MONTHS just for a chance to see him again.

No, it was the idea of going out on an **actual** date with someone he was **_actually_** interested in seeing again that had his nerves frazzled.

Every other date he’d been on before had been the same routine: Dinner and drinks. Some sweet talk that he didn’t really mean. Drive back to his place. Have a little _fun_. And then he’d send them on their way with the usual “Don’t call me, I’ll call you”. Lather, rinse, repeat- the same thing every time.

With Domino, though, things were _different_. The other man was too sharp to fall for his usual sweet talk (though flirting was definitely still on the table). Steelbeak also wanted more than just a one night fling- he wanted to go out with him again in the very near future, or maybe even just hang out more outside of work. He wanted-

“-something wrong?” The loon’s voice cut through his thoughts instantly.

“Huh?” Steelbeak blinked and looked up from his half-touched plate of seafood paella, unaware that he’d spaced out. “Sorry, ya say somethin’?”

“……” There was that stare he’d become all too familiar with over the past few months- the look that told him the shorter bird was mentally picking him apart and analyzing him with unsettling accuracy. “Something’s on your mind and it’s stressing you out.” And he’d hit the nail right on the head, as always. “What is it?”

Darn, he really couldn’t hide anything from this guy, could he?

With a frustrated sigh, Steelbeak frowned and ran a hand over his comb. “Is it really that obvious?” A nod from his partner accompanied by his deadpan stare told him that, yes, it WAS that obvious. “You’re gonna think it’s stupid..”

“Probably.” Wow, he didn’t miss a beat with that, did he? “But I still want to hear it.”

Well, he thought, might as well spit it out. Otherwise the darker bird would just keep giving him **_that_** look until he did. “Can ya ‘least promise NOT t’ laugh?”

The edges of the other’s beak curled slightly in a smirk as he shrugged. “Maybe.” That was probably the best he was going to get.

Figuring that he wouldn’t be able to get it all out if he was looking into those seemingly all-seeing red eyes, Steelbeak chose instead to keep his gaze on the bay. “…..I..ain’t exactly used t’ datin’ like this.” His eyes followed the rolling motion of a wave as it crashed on the beach before receding. “Don’t get me wrong, I like goin’ out with a cute dame much as the next guy, but I don’t even bother rememberin’ their names half the time. We go out, I tell ‘em what they wanna hear, and it works good enough t’ get ‘em home with me.” He blindly waved his hand in Domino’s general direction. “But, with YOU, I don’t even know how t’ start a freakin’ conversation. If I try talkin’ to ya like the rest, it’d probably be charmin’, but it’s not gonna be **_real_** \- my brain ain’t exactly wired for honesty, y’know? So I’m tryin’ real hard t’ think of somethin’ t’ talk about ‘sides small talk ‘cause I wanna say **somethin’** , but I don’t wanna look like an idiot for tryin’ too hard.” He gave a short, self-deprecating laugh and shook his head. “Aaaaaannd I just heard myself out loud: I’m tryin’ too hard t’ **NOT** try too hard..guess that don’t make a whole lotta sense, huh?”

When he finally turned his attention back to his date, he saw that the other bird had reached across the table with an extremely small, unmarked vial of _something_ and currently had his hand angled over the rooster’s glass of water- clearly preparing to drip whatever was inside of the glass vial into his drink. “……” Realizing he’d been spotted, Domino slowly leaned back into his seat properly and set his hands back down in his lap, maintaining eye contact the whole time as if that would hide what he’d been about to do.

“…Dom..what’s that?” Steelbeak asked his partner incredulously.

“…Nothing…” He was clearly lying through his teeth and trying to maintain his poker face, despite being caught red-handed.

“We both know I ain’t buyin’ that.” Steelbeak looked down at the table obscuring the loon’s hands from his view. “I know you ain’t tryin’ t’ slip me a mickey, so spill it.”

“Fine..” The poker face finally fell away and Domino’s hand came back up to rest on the table with the vial still between his fingers, surprising the rooster with the dejected, guilty frown on his face. “It’s a truth serum.”

Steelbeak’s eyes widened in surprise at the admission. “Why the heck do ya have **truth** **serum** on ya??”

The darker bird shrugged a little. “I like to be prepared for anything- it comes in handy for emergency interrogations.” He set the vial on the table between them so that Steelbeak could see it better. “I thought that, if you’re uncomfortable because it’s hard for you to speak honestly with me, then a drop or two might help.”

The tiny glass container sat on the table, looking so small and insignificant, but Steelbeak knew better than to assume things when it came to drugs and chemicals in their line of work. “..That stuff really works..?”

“I’ve found it to be effective more than 98% of the time.” Domino replied. “It’s fast acting, too- most people notice the effects almost instantly.”

“……Eh, what the heck?” Steelbeak grabbed the vial and, instead of putting a few drops into his glass as Domino had been about to, he popped the drip-cap off and brought it directly to his beak to chug half of the colorless liquid in one go. “!!” He immediately regretted his decision- the liquid was oily and tasted like someone had boiled down a bottle of mouthwash into a loose syrup. After grabbing his napkin and coughing into it for a solid minute, as well as chugging his entire glass of water to weaken the nearly medicinal taste still coating his tongue, he set the half-empty vial back down in the middle of the table. “Ugh, this stuff better be worth it..”

Domino picked the vial up and put it away after screwing the cap back on. “You know, two drops would have been more than enough. Don’t blame me if you start spilling F.O.W.L.’s most highly guarded secrets.”

“Figured I’d need all the help I could get.” With the horribly minty taste finally cleared from his pallet, Steelbeak took a moment to think about how he felt. “Y’know..I _do_ feel calmer. Wow, you weren’t kiddin’ ‘bout that stuff- it works REAL fast.”

The darker bird smiled a bit, but there was something sly about that look in his eyes that Steelbeak couldn’t quite place. “Let’s test it out: What would you like to talk about?”

“I wanna know more about YOU.” The words fell from Steelbeak’s mouth with surprising ease. “We don’t talk ‘bout much on the clock, so, I wanna know, what sorta stuff do ya do for fun?”

“Hm, that’s pretty tame, but a good place to start, I suppose.” Domino picked up his fork, idly spinning it between his thumb and index finger as he thought the question over. “Well..I read, mostly. I also enjoy going to the shooting range- it’s a fun way to exercise and keep my skills sharp. During the winter I like to go for walks in the snow or even ice skating, if it’s cold enough. Oh, and sometimes I just like to go driving along the coast at night since it’s so quiet.”

“Sounds like a good time.” Steelbeak smiled a little, a general feeling of satisfaction coming over him. He couldn’t believe how **easy** that had been! He felt more relaxed now, like he had when they talked in the break room the other day, or after their mission to raid and blow up a S.H.U.S.H. base. “Never woulda pegged ya for a skater, though. Found any good places ‘round here for that?”

“The lake in the park was nice, I went there last time it snowed.” The loon had a soft smile on his face as he glanced out the window, clearly remembering the day fondly. “It was in the middle of the night, so there was no one else crowding the ice or crashing into me.”

Ah, there it was- that rare but genuine and gentle smile that made Steelbeak’s heart melt a little. “Maybe I’ll tag along next time. Haven’t gone skatin’ in ages.”

Red eyes looked back up at him, that smile growing a little more. “I’d like that.”

For a moment, they stayed like that, just smiling contently at one another.

Then, Steelbeak noticed, Domino’s shoulders began to shake the way they did when he was trying not to laugh out loud about something. “What’s so funny?”

“Well, it’s just..” Domino’s smile was turning into a grin as he continued resisting the ever-growing urge to laugh. “You know that truth serum you drank?”

“Yeah, what’s in that junk, anyway?” Steelbeak asked, his curiosity piqued now. “I mean, I’m glad it worked, but it tasted like melted toothpaste.”

Domino’s body was practically trembling, as was his voice, but he managed to get out a simple reply. “It’s peppermint oil.”

“…What?” Steelbeak blinked, unsure if he’d heard the other bird properly.

“You just drank a bottle of **_peppermint oil_**.” And the last of the loon’s resolve crumbled, allowing him to openly laugh at the baffled rooster.

“ **What**?!” Steelbeak sputtered for a moment. He’d seriously just chugged freaking PEPPERMINT OIL?! After a few seconds of his partner laughing at him, the rooster finally groaned and let his head fall forward to hit a clear spot on the table. “Can’t believe I fell for that…why the heck would ya even HAVE that..?” Somehow it seemed more believable that the other bird would carry truth serum on him then peppermint oil.

Wiping a few laughter-induced tears from the corners of his eyes, Domino’s smile didn’t go down one bit. “Like I said, I like to be prepared for anything. Peppermint is very versatile- it can relieve nausea, help with indigestion, or just be used to freshen breath after a less than fragrant meal. I’ve also used it as a fire accelerant before.” He took notice of the way the lighter bird’s shoulders were starting to tremble and his grin lessened slightly. “Hey, are you ok-?”

Before he could finish his question, Steelbeak sat up with a huge grin of his own spread across his face and started belting out his distinctively nasal laugh. “Friggin’ **peppermint oil**! Oh, that was **good**!” He had to wipe away tears of his own so he could look his partner in the eyes again. “ ** _This_** is why I like ya, Deedee: You keep me guessin’. I never know what t’ expect with ya. You’re **_exciting_**.”

Domino’s own smile returned. “You’re certainly not having any trouble being honest _now_ , are you?”

Steelbeak shrugged, the huge grin still practically splitting his face. “Yeah, but it’s gonna be easier on my ego if I just keep pretendin’ it’s ‘cause of a truth serum. So, let’s keep talkin’ before I lose my nerve again- sound good?” He raised his almost empty glass towards his partner expectantly.

Domino picked up his own half-full glass and tapped it to the other’s. “That sounds good to me. Let’s talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clear up any possible confusion: Domino WAS trying to get caught spiking Steelbeak’s drink so he could bluff and get him to try it willingly- the guy knew what he was doing x3 Also, by “peppermint oil”, I’m referring to edible peppermint extract that’s used in cooking- he didn’t make Steelbeak drink an essential oil because that is dangerous xP


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their way home, Domino and Steelbeak take a detour through the park. The pair take their time talking, getting to know each other, and reveal old wounds that bring them closer together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight trigger warning for this chapter for mentions of gun violence, police brutality, and some minor bodily horror regarding Steelbeak’s beak (but it’s nothing overly graphic).

“-and I still have all of the dresses in my closet.” Dominic said, an amused smile on his face as he reached the end of his story.

The pair of agents had finished their dinner over an hour ago and, with neither wanting to end the date quite yet, had stopped at the park on their way back home. The gates had been locked as part of the local government’s vain attempts to keep petty criminals, supervillains (particularly Bushroot and the rest of the Fearsome Four) out at night; the locks didn’t slow them down for more than two seconds before they were in. Still, the locks did serve a different kind of greater good now- they allowed Dominic and Steelbeak to have the scenic park all to themselves as they walked wherever they felt like and talked the night away.

Steelbeak laughed at the other man’s tale, shaking his head as he walked beside him. “Wow, that IS crazy. You’ll have t’ show ‘em to me sometime- bet they look real good on ya.”

“I suppose I could model one or two of them for you.” Dominic looked at the other bird expectantly. “Same question: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever had to do on a mission?”

They’d started playing “fact trade” a while ago. Dominic remembered it from his school days and thought it would be a fun way for them to get to know each other better. The rules were simple- they would take turns asking each other questions and whoever refused to answer one would lose. Both of them were too stubborn to give up easily, so they’d been going back and forth for over half an hour already.

Steelbeak pondered the question for a moment, tapping the base of his beak before an amused smirk slipped onto his face. “Alright, so, this one time F.O.W.L. High Command’s got me stealin’ all this rubber for- and I ain’t jokin’ on this one- a giant, bouncin’, remote-controlled SUPERBALL.”

“Oh, this is already off to a great start.” Dominic nodded along as he listened.

“I know, right? Think the guys were runnin’ outta ideas.” Steelbeak chuckled before continuing. “So, like I said, I’m tryin’ t’ steal this rubber and- **big** shocker- Dipwing Dork keeps showin’ up t’ stop me, only he ain’t alone this time.”

“Did he have his sidekick with him?” The loon’s mind wandered briefly to the handsome, well-built pilot that seemed to tag along with Darkwing wherever he went. He’d have to see about getting him alone sometime without his annoying boss around..

“Yeah, but this time he’s got someone else, too.” Steelbeak continued. “See, it’s this weird alien- real’ stupid lookin’ with muscles ten times the size of his brain. The guy’s got crazy powers and takes out me an’ the eggmen all on his own. Second fight with the guy, I get thrown in a closet and hear ‘em arguin’: The guy’s there gettin’ trainin’ from Dorkwing on how t’ be a ‘real hero’, but he’s so annoyin’ that even DARKWING gets fed up with ‘im!” He chuckled a little, his shoulders shaking as he tried to hold in his laughter long enough to finish his story. “So, I figure, why let that much power go t’ waste? I put together a superhero costume usin’ what I got in the closet…and come out with a towel on my back, a plunger in my hand, and a friggin’ BUCKET on my head I’d pecked a couplea eye holes in!”

“A _bucket_?” Oh, that image would be in Dominic’s head ALL NIGHT. “And that **_worked_**?”

“It did! Told that chump I was a ‘superhero trainer extraordinaire’ named ‘Professor Steelcluck’, and he FELL FOR IT!” Steelbeak laughed, holding his side as his laughter left him wheezing. “OH man, I’m tellin’ ya, that was even better than gettin’ Darkwing an’ Gizmoduck t’ fight each other!”

The rooster’s laughter was contagious, making the darker bird laugh too. “I wish I could have been there to see it.” After they’d both settled down, Dominic looked up at the taller man. “It’s your turn.”

“Let’s seeeee…” Steelbeak hummed as he thought his question over. Then, as if the humming gave him an idea, he grinned. “Oh, that’s a good one: What kinda music do ya like?”

“I actually don’t listen to music that often.” He replied. “Sometimes I’ll put on classical music if I want something in the background or I’ll find an artist here and there whose style I enjoy- like the one on the radio earlier- but I don’t really have anything I’m particularly interested in.”

“Classical stuff, huh? I’ll have t’ remember that..” The other bird muttered to himself before holding his hands out in front of himself like he was playing a piano with a chuckle. “I ever tell ya ‘bout the time I had t’ go undercover as a concert pianist for a couple months?”

“No, you haven’t.” So his assumption from before had been correct. “I didn’t know you played.”

“Yeah, can’t do nothin’ fancy like read sheet music, but I got a pretty good ear an’ can play a few songs if I hear ‘em enough times. Spent two months travelin’ ‘round the country playin’ songs so me an’ my ‘entourage’ could break int’ all the swanky hotels, music halls, and galleries the band played at- we cleaned ‘em out an’ snuck everythin’ out in the instrument cases.” Two light fingers lifted up and tapped the side of his beak, producing a dull “thump” like an empty plastic cup. “That’s where I got this one- stands out less than my usual piece. Not as good in a fight, but it works when I gotta blend in..plus it’s heck of a lot better for preenin’ than the metal one.”

“I can imagine..” Dominic winced in sympathy at the thought of trying to preen his feathers with such sharp, jagged metal- he’d probably end up tearing skin with a beak like that. That thought actually brought to mind a question that had been on his mind for some time now and, knowing that it was technically his turn, he felt it was a perfect time to ask. “Why do you use prosthetics, anyway? Were you injured during a mission?”

“Nah, nothin’ that excitin’.” Steelbeak said while scratching at some of the feathers around the edge of his beak with one finger. “Good old fashioned case of police brutality: I was fourteen, got caught stealin’ from this high-end mall. I was faster than the security, but it was one of those places where they had cops patrollin’ the area on speed dial- couldn’t outrun the cars an’ they grabbed me when I tried t’ climb a fence. One of ‘em pinned me t’ the ground while the other one stomped on my beak..said they were gonna ‘teach me a lesson’.” He winced, rubbing a finger over the beak to comfort what was likely a phantom pain. “Hurt like heck..broke most of it off..guess I got lucky it didn’t get infected, but it sure felt like it did..” Dominic saw the feathers on the rooster’s comb fluff slightly before he shook his head. “Anyway, when I signed up with F.O.W.L. I got access t’ all those sweet free doctors an’ surgeons- they whipped up the fakes an’ gave me a new identity. Still got some of the real one underneath, though. Stings sometimes, but it don’t hurt as bad when I cover it.”

“……” Dominic debated for a moment over the request he was about to make. Would it be rude to ask? “..I want to see it.” He finally said after a minute, his curiosity winning out. “If you’re comfortable with it, of course.”

“…” Steelbeak stopped walking to look down at him. “It ain’t exactly pretty t’ look at.”

“I don’t care- I want to see it.” The loon repeated resolutely.

“Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn ya..” He reached up to the sides of his beak with both hands and started applying pressure with his fingertips. After a moment there was a popping sound and the material shifted, looking more like it was loosely resting on something rather than connected now. He took the top part of the false beak in one hand and the bottom in the other and carefully pulled it away.

Once he finally got a full look at what had been hidden under the plastic, Dominic could certainly see what Steelbeak meant: It was **_not_** a pretty sight.

A large portion of it had been broken off, leaving behind dark scars that contrasted the natural yellow color. The closest part to still being intact was a long strip along the upper-right side of the rooster’s mouth, reaching almost the same length as the prostheses. Right beside that, though, was a sharp, jagged drop that didn’t go back up until almost reaching the middle of his mouth. After that there were two small slivers of his beak centered around the middle, leading to one last piece on the left that was barely an eighth of an inch longer than the other two. And that was just the UPPER mandible- the lower one was nothing but one half-length sliver in the middle and a few scattered fragments. Then, to top it all off, both parts of his beak were fixed to a thin metallic frame outlining the normal shape of a beak with a wire-mesh connecting the natural pieces to a series of metal posts that had been drilled into the hard tissue at the base of his beak and two small metal bolts at the corners of his mouth.

Looking at it left Dominic with some harshly conflicting feelings. On one hand, while it wasn’t the most beautiful sight in the world, it was quite an interesting feat of medical and scientific engineering. On the other hand, though, it was sickening to think that two fully grown men would pin down a **_child_** and permanently disfigure him in such a horrific way.

“It really doesn’t hurt..?” Just LOOKING at it made his own pointed beak ache- the loon shuddered to think what it must **actually** feel like.

The taller bird gave a calm shrug, able to still speak surprisingly clearly. “Not like it used to. Smarts a bit every now an’ then, but it’s mostly just phantom pains. Talkin’ an’ other stuff don’t bother it, but if I try t’ eat without one of the fakes it feels like gettin’ kicked all over again.”

“I see..” He took one last look at the mix of broken tissue and metal before looking up into the rooster’s eyes again. “Thank you for showing me.”

“Eh, don’t mention it.” Steelbeak brought the prosthesis back up to his mouth and slipped it over the metal frame all the way up to the base, popping the corners onto the bolts with an audible click. After opening and closing his mouth a few times to check it, he looked back down at Dominic as they continued their earlier pace. “Hey, whose turn was it again?”

“Yours.” The loon replied, walking beside him at an even pace.

“Right, right..” Taking a minute to think his next question over, Steelbeak eventually came up with something and gave the loon a curious look. “Why’d ya join F.O.W.L., anyway? Sharp, good-lookin’ guy like **you** had t’ have options, right?”

“Not really..” Dominic looked up at the moon as they walked. “My mother lost her job right when I was about to graduate from high school. Before I knew it, I was forced to drop out and we were living on the streets. Without a diploma I couldn’t get accepted into the college I’d applied for and I had to beg for money on street corners just to get by.” He scowled a little, the memories of those days still bitter and unpleasant for him. “The recruiter for that sector, Di Amund, approached me after he saw me take down two police officers on my own- they were trying to arrest me for vagrancy and, well, you know what happens when someone tries to pin me to a wall.” He heard a hum of acknowledgement in response. “He told me that I would be paid well, get to travel the world, and even be given a place to live. I took the enrollment bonus he offered, gave it to my mother, and left for the northern academy as soon as I could.”

Their walk had led them to the lake in the middle of the park, it seemed. Once Dominic’s story concluded, Steelbeak crouched down by the bank to pick up a few stones. “Livin’ on the streets, huh? Bet that must’ve been rough.” He split them up, keeping half for himself and offering the other half to Dominic. “Livin’ like that’s gotta be hard..bet ya picked up a few things that stuck with ya, right?”

“I suppose..” Dominic took the offered rocks, picking one and tossing it across the water’s surface to get about three skips before it sank.

“Ya probably have trouble throwin’ food away when it’s stale.” Steelbeak tossed one of his own rocks, getting four skips out of it. “Not the stuff that gets moldy or goes bad like meat, or vegetables, or dairy- I bet ya know just how sick you can get offa that junk- but I bet ya probably still keep the dry stuff like chips an’ crackers after their expiration date ‘cause it don’t make sense throwin’ it away, right? Sure, they don’t taste that good anymore, but they’re still good t’ eat an’ it bugs ya wastin’ that sorta thing.”

While he was in the process of throwing another stone, Domino halted and turned his head to look at the other bird- the resulting toss only getting one skip. “How do you-?”

“I bet ya have a few shirts or pants with little holes an’ tears in ‘em stashed away in your drawers, right?” He wasn’t looking at the loon as he spoke, his eyes on the lake as he threw another stone- five skips that time. “They’re kinda beat up, but they still fit just fine, so ya keep ‘em ‘round for the days when ya know you’re not gonna go nowhere or see nobody. Y’know you could just buy more, but why waste the money when ya don’t gotta, right?” Another stone, six skips across the water. “Ya probably hate not bein’ able t’ shower right after gettin’ dirty, too, huh? Longer ya go without it, the more it bugs ya ‘cause it brings back memories of when you’d have t’ go days, probably even _weeks_ without one.” There was a far off look in his eyes as he threw his last stone, the rock reaching almost to the other side of the water before it sank. “And ya can’t sleep without some kinda weapon nearby..but it ain’t just ‘cause of the trainin’ with F.O.W.L.- it’s ‘cause part of your brain still thinks you’re gonna get jumped, even though you’re in a locked room an’ not in an open alley somewhere, right?”

“…You’re right.” Dominic had been looking at Steelbeak the whole time he spoke. At first he’d been surprised that the other man knew some of his less obvious habits so easily, but now, after seeing the distant look in the rooster’s eyes and listening to the tone of his voice, he understood where that knowledge came from. “You used to live like that too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah..” A small, melancholy smile tugged at the lighter bird’s beak as he watched the ripples slowly roll across the lake from the stones that he’d thrown. “Used t’ live with my old man in a rinky-dink shack way out in New Duck City. Spent most of the time inside ‘cause the old man flipped his lid anytime I tried gettin’ out, for some reason. Never went out t’ eat, never went t’ the doctor, and **definitely** didn’t go t’ school- had t’ teach myself t’ read an’ write an’ junk ‘cause he sure as heck wasn’t gonna. Only ever got one visitor..” His attempt at a smile started to fall as the last of the ripples slowly went still. “My ma- least, I _think_ she was my ma, she didn’t really come ‘round that much, could’ve just been some broad he liked, but we had the same eyes so I called her ma- anyway, my ma disappeared when I was about eight. Old man got way worse after that..started comin’ home with black eyes an’ bloody shirts, and even askin’ ‘bout what he did earned me a cuff upside the head. Then, one night about two years after my ma stopped comin’ around, there was all this racket outside and I kept seein’ red an’ blue lights through the curtains…got outta bed an’ went t’ see what all the noise was about..” He gave a short, strained laugh and shook his head, the lake finally still enough that both of their reflections were visible in the water’s surface again. “The old man went down swingin’- up ‘gainst ten cops with just a glock and he STILL took out half of ‘em…right before they iced ‘im. After that they started comin’ for the front door. I didn’t know nothin’ ‘bout cops back then, all I knew was they were the guys that just plugged my old man full of holes and thought they were gonna do the same t’ me…so, I ran out the back and kept on runnin’..” He took a deep breath and sighed, finally looking away from the water and up towards the sky. “Didn’t have nowhere else t’ go and no one t’ turn to, so I just kinda drifted ‘round from one alley t’ the next..went on like that for a few years, gettin’ by with what I could get for free and stealin’ what I couldn’t..”

Dominic wasn’t really sure what to say at first.

That was…a lot to unpack.

For all of his flashy style, expensive taste in clothes and cars and gifts, and his general demeanor, Dominic never would have guessed that Steelbeak dealt with that sort of thing from such a young age. Ending up on the streets in his teens had already been hard enough to survive day to day- he could only imagine how much worse it was for a child who should have been just starting middle school…

Black fingers tossed a stone across the lake, distorting the reflections again as it skipped five times. “How did you end up in F.O.W.L.?” A distraction, he eventually decided, would probably be better than sympathy in that moment.

To his relief, Dominic saw the life slowly returning to his partner’s eyes. “Now **_that_** ,” Steelbeak began with a smile slowly forming on his beak once more. “Is a fun one..” He took one of the rocks the loon handed him and threw it at the lake, getting four skips. “So, I’m skulkin’ ‘round the classy part of Featherton lookin’ for chumps t’ fleece, when I see this guy goin’ off on some poor bird sellin’ hot dogs out of a cart. The guy’s a real jerk, y’know? Yellin’ at the girl, tellin’ her she don’t what she’s doin’, sayin’ she gave ‘im the wrong change- just bein’ a real tool, y’know?” He smirked, chuckling quietly. “Then I see his wallet stickin’ outta his back pocket and think to myself ‘This must be karma’s way of teachin’ ‘im not t’ be such a prick’, and who am **_I_** to argue with karma, right? So I snag his wallet when I’m walkin’ past- the moron don’t even notice ‘til I’m duckin’ ‘round the corner. He had over two hundred in there, it felt like I’d won the friggin’ lottery!” He watched as Dominic threw a stone, six skips that time. “I treat myself t’ a nice lunch in one of the lower-class joints on the other side of town, stock up on groceries, then head back t’ the half-finished construction site I’d been crashin’ in for the past couple weeks. I turn in for the night, thinkin’ I had a pretty good day…” He kneels down by the bank and finds another stone. “ ‘Course, that changed when I woke up t’ someone grabbin’ me in the middle of the night.” He found a suitable rock and threw it without standing up, only getting three skips. “It was the guy whose wallet I stole- he’d tracked me down an’ brought his buddies for backup. I see one of ‘em pullin’ out handcuffs an’ think they’re cops, so I grab the knife I keep up my sleeve and start fightin’ back. I get in a few good licks before I bolt, even slice the guy with the wallet right up over his eye.” Unable to find any more rocks, he eventually stood back up. “I almost get away, when BOOM! Some big guy in an egg-shaped helmet clothes-line’s me when I’m goin’ down the stairs. I fall down, black out, and wake up tied to a chair in a dark room. Buncha guys start askin’ me questions ‘bout who I’m workin’ for an’ I tell ‘em ‘Hey, if I had a job, ya think I’d be pinchin’ wallets and sleepin on rebar?’- I figured I was gonna die anyway, so might as well go out swingin’, y’know?” He chuckled, watching Dominic throw the last of his own stones out into the water- beating Steelbeak’s best toss and actually reaching the other side. “Nice shot. So, they keep at it for a while, even start pullin’ out guns an’ threatenin’ t’ kill me. When I don’t break down cryin’, the lights come on and this big TV comes outta nowhere- it was my first time meetin’ High Command. Turns out the chump I pickpocketed was one of their top generals and’ they were impressed ‘cause, not only did I manage t’ steal from a general AND take out a bunch of their guys on my own, but it turns out they can’t find any record of me even EXISTIN’- no birth certificate, no social, nothin’..guess my old man never wanted anyone t’ know ‘bout me, for some reason..anyway, High Command offers me a job. Same sorta thing they tell everyone they pick up off the streets- ‘come work for us, you’ll get money, a place t’ live, blah, blah, blah’. Didn’t have much t’ lose, so I signed up. Was too young for the academy, so they just had me shadow my first partner and learn the ropes from ‘im. Officially joined when I was fifteen, got full agent status a year later, and the rest is history.”

Dominic looked at the lighter bird curiously. “Wait- you were only sixteen when you became an agent?”

Steelbeak returned the questioning look with a proud smirk. “Ye-p. Youngest agent in F.O.W.L. history **ever**. Earned my promotion after that little ‘incident’ with my first partner: High Command figured I’d proved my loyalty and was good enough t’ start field work.”

“……” Red eyes gazed down at the slowly stilling reflections of the lake before, after deciding there was nothing else to do over there, Dominic started walking down the trail again. “I think I owe you an apology.”

Steelbeak followed after the shorter bird, looking down at him with one brow cocked curiously. “I ain’t gonna argue with ya on that one, but I gotta know- for what?”

“For..how I treated you at first.” He was reluctant to do so, but the loon decided he’d swallow his pride long enough to give the other man the apology he deserved (though he wasn’t willing to look him in the eyes just yet). “When High Command transferred me to Saint Canard, they originally told me that I was being reassigned as the apprentice for the chief officer of F.O.W.L.. I assumed someone with such a high rank would be much older than me, probably someone close to retirement looking for a protégé to pass his secrets on to…and then I read your file. The first thing I saw was your date of birth and I thought ‘Wait, we’re both 33?’. I felt so.. _insulted_ that they would want to make me an apprentice for someone who was only **_two_** _**months**_ older than me- it felt like I was being **demoted**.” A frustrated sigh left him as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing some of the longer strands back briefly before they fell back into place. “Luckily they changed my title to ‘partner’ by the time I arrived, but the whole thing still left a bad taste in my mouth when I was **already** in a bad mood…and I’m pretty sure it showed in my attitude. I didn’t realize that, despite our age, you had so many more years of experience.” Finally, he looked back up into the other’s dark eyes. “So..I’m sorry for how I treated you when we first met, you didn’t deserve all of the attitude that I gave you- only some of it.”

“ _Wow_ ,” Steelbeak said with a quiet snicker. “That looked **_excrucriatin’_**.” Dominic was about to tell him that, yes, it hurt him _immensely_ to say that out loud, but he was surprised when the other bird’s cocky smirk softened slightly and he looked away while running a hand over his comb. “But…I gotta take my share of the blame, too. I know I ain’t the easiest guy t’ work with.” He sighed and looked back down at Dominic’s inquisitive gaze. “Truth is, I didn’t expect ya t’ last this long, most partners don’t last a month with me. They usually get killed, get on my nerves so much I just let ‘em die, or **_I_** get on **_their_** nerves so much that they take the first transfer they see- one guy even took a demotion down t’ eggman in the arctic just t’ get as far away from me as possible. I’m..kinda used to them just comin’ an’ goin’ now, so I try not t’ get attached..I don’t even bother learnin’ their names most of the time.” The corner of his beak lifted up in a half smile. “Believe it or not, **_you’re_** the longest lastin’ partner I’ve ever had. I didn’t really know what t’ do with ya after the first month went by and you were still here, so I tried bein’ more social but..well…guess the damage was already done, huh?” The look in his eyes was gentle, almost pleading when he next spoke- an expression that Dominic wasn’t used to seeing on him. “Can we just, I dunno…start over? Start things from this week and pretend everything before didn’t happen?”

Pretend none of it ever happened?

The rude introductions, snide remarks, venomous words, and cold glares that made up the bulk of their first month together…The awkward trips to bars and restaurants where he’d blown Steelbeak off in favor of some good looking strangers…That horrible first dinner where Steelbeak had obviously been trying to impress him like he was another one of his usual arm-candy “dates”…The unnecessarily expensive gifts and the inevitable frustration that followed…

To pretend that none of that happened and just start over from this week- to start from that day in the break room where they’d shared a nice meal and had pleasant conversation while toying with the idea of having dinner at Steelbeak’s apartment sometime in the future- that, honestly, was one of the best suggestion he’d ever heard.

A soft smile spread across the loon’s dark beak, the smile instantly easing the other bird’s expression back into an equally soft look. “I’d like that.”

For a while, neither of them said a word, they just gazed into each other’s eyes. They’d bared a lot to each other, exposed old wounds (literally, in Steelbeak’s case), and, with just a couple hours of actually talking to one another, had grown closer than they had in the months they’d worked together. In a way, it was a little silly: If they’d just talked to each other like normal people, they could have avoided so many awkward or unpleasant moments and may have even been further along than a first date by now. Well, they couldn’t go back and fix things, but they could definitely treat this as a new beginning and try not to repeat their past mistakes.

Before they’d realized it, they were at the end of the path back at the gate leading out of the park.

Dominic felt his smile fall ever so slightly. He really wasn’t in the mood to leave yet, not when things were going so well..

“Hey, stripes,” Steelbeak’s voice caught his attention and Dominic looked up at his partner curiously, seeing that the rooster’s focus was set on something on the other side of the fence. “You’re packin’ heat, right?”

“Always.” Dominic patted the side of his shirt, right over where he had his guns holstered beneath the fabric.

A smirk that promised mischief spread across the rooster’s face when he met his partner’s eyes, pointing at something on the sidewalk just outside of the park. “Ya packin’ ice, too?”

He looked at the object curiously, a matching smirk appearing on his own face when he found the object in question. Oh, this was going to be **_fun_**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably my favorite chapter to write for this story. Coming up with a backstory for Steelbeak was way more fun then it probably should have been, but I couldn’t resist going all out x3
> 
> I also had a lot of fun thinking up what his beak would look like under the prosthesis and drew inspiration from the fact that I’ve had A LOT of dental work done in the past and actually have an artificial tooth with a post drilled into my upper jaw, so I thought about using something along those lines for Steelbeak but on a more extreme scale. I’m actually really satisfied with how it turned out, overall ^.^


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brilliant idea on Steelbeak’s part leads to a fun time involving one of Domino’s favorite pastimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of bonding and fluff before something more dramatic begins >:3

Steelbeak finished taking off the cap on the bright red fire hydrant, looking through the fence at his partner waiting on the other side. “Ready?”

Domino, standing a couple feet off to the side to avoid the incoming spray, nodded. “Do it.” He had both of his pistols out and loaded.

That was all the go-ahead Steelbeak needed to bring the thick wrench up to the pressure valve on top of the hydrant and start twisting it, releasing a fierce stream of water that rushed through the fence and all over the ground on the other side. It had been a while since he’d broken open a fire hydrant without his metal beak but, after some fumbling with the spare wrench from the emergency repair kit in the trunk of Domino’s car, it all started to come back to him. The struggle had been worth it, though, to see the excited gleam of anticipation in the loon’s eyes at what was to come.

Once there was a sufficient pool spread out across several feet ahead of him, Steelbeak gradually eased the water pressure until he was able to screw it shut again. “Alright, Dee- it’s all you!” He gave the darker bird a thumbs up once the cap was back on the hydrant.

“This should only take a minute.” Domino aimed his guns at the large pool of water and began firing at it. Instead of lead bullets, though, what came out of the pistols were small capsules that burst when they hit the water’s surface. Anywhere the capsules hit began to rapidly freeze over and, after firing enough shots to empty both clips, the ground was covered in a large, semi-even sheet of ice. “There.”

While Domino holstered his guns once more, Steelbeak tossed the wrench back into the trunk of the other bird’s car and made his way back through the open gate. “Lookin’ good, Dom.” He looked over the icy ground before giving the loon a wink. “And the ice ain’t lookin’ too bad, neither.”

“Smooth.” Domino chuckled quietly, giving the taller bird one of those charming smirks that made blood rush to his face. “If the ice is anywhere near _your_ level, then this should be fun.” He returned the wink before stepping onto their improvised ice-rink, gliding across it with ease on his bare feet.

Despite the whole thing being his idea, Steelbeak was a little more hesitant to step out onto the ice. “Just don’t laugh at me **too** much when I start fallin’ on my face, alright?” He took a cautious step onto the slippery surface. So far so good. Now just add the other foot and push forward to- “Woah!”

Steelbeak, predictably, ended up sliding forward a few inches before his feet started to slide out from under him and he fell forward onto the ice. While he thankfully avoided hitting his face, the impact still knocked the wind out of him and left him momentarily dazed.

“Do you _really_ expect me NOT to laugh after that performance?” Looking up from his sprawled out position on the ice, Steelbeak saw his partner standing in front of him. The loon was smirking down at the prone rooster with an amused smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the other’s misfortune.

With a grumble Steelbeak attempted to get back up, succeeding in getting as far as his knees without falling. “Well, ex-cu-use me- we can’t all be figure skaters.” He tried to get his feet under him and managed to get a few inches off of the ground before slipping again and falling back into a seated position. “Son of a-!”

He heard laughter and looked back up to see Domino practically doubled over and holding his midsection. While Steelbeak wanted to be mad over someone laughing at his clumsiness- and he really, really, REALLY wanted to be mad about it- he found himself just staring, instead.

Sure, he’d heard Domino laugh before, particularly tonight while they’d been talking, but the other man was usually so much more..reserved about it. A quiet laugh here, a chuckle there, maybe even a few seconds of more joyous laughter once in a while if something was particularly funny.

This, though… ** _this_** was different. This was more like at the restaurant right after he’d revealed the trick he’d played on Steelbeak: It was raw and open and just so genuinely joyful between the sound and the smile on his face that it warmed something in Steelbeak’s chest and made it impossible for him not to smile and laugh along with him.

It took a while for both of them to calm down, having to wipe tears of joy from their eyes once they’d settled into quiet, breathless chuckles. “Here.” Steelbeak was surprised to see a long strip of purple fabric being dangled down in front of him. He realized quickly enough that it was Domino’s scarf and that the other end was being held in its owner’s hand while he looked down at him with a calm, patient smile as he waited for him to take the other end. “Or do you prefer having frostbite on your tail feathers?”

“Nah, can’t say that I do.” With a grin on his beak, Steelbeak grabbed the free end of the scarf. “Don’t go off on me if I pull ya down too, short fuse.”

Domino rolled his eyes, but the fond smile on his face made the action ultimately pointless. “You of all people should know that I’m stronger than I look.” Well, Steelbeak definitely couldn’t argue with that one after everything he’d seen the other bird do to guys more than twice his size. With that in mind he gripped the scarf firmly in one hand and pushed off of the ice with the other, managing to get all the way up to his feet with Domino pulling the scarf taut to offer him a counterbalance. “Three seconds without falling- you’re already improving.” The darker bird joked with a smirk. Steelbeak was about to say something snappy back in return- “Why don’t you hold on to that?”

“Huh?” Steelbeak looked at his partner in confusion, then down to the scarf still being held in his hand. “Ya sure ‘bout that, stripes?”

“If you keep falling like that, you’ll break the ice.” Domino said while wrapping his end of the scarf around his left hand twice. Once he was done, he held his hand up for the other man to see. “This way we can make it last a bit longer.”

“If ya say so, Deedee.” Steelbeak shrugged and mirrored the shorter bird’s actions with his right hand, wrapping the scarf around it twice. “Just don’t go too fast, alright? Im kinda rusty.”

“Wow, I never would have guessed.” The shorter bird said sarcastically before he pushed off of the ice with one foot to glide forward.

The sudden motion startled Steelbeak a little at first, but he was silently grateful that the other man at least heeded his request to go slow. It took him a while to get used to the feeling of skating over the ice, lots of long strides back and forth before taking slow turns around the edges to go back the other way. It had been a **_really_** long time since he’d been skating- at least two or three years, if he was remembering it correctly. Every now and then he’d start to lose his balance and nearly fall, but a firm tug on his hand would always level him out before he reached the point of no return. The quick pulls and feeling of tension around his palm were more than welcome and, after a while, a slight flush bloomed across his cheeks when he realized what it reminded him of.

He snuck a glance down, his eyes trailing along the purple fabric connecting his off-white feathered hand to the black feathered one on the other end. Even with the ends of the scarf wrapped twice around each of their hands, there was still a foot or two of space between them- just enough to avoid bumping into one another if they ended up falling. Still, despite the distance between them and the lack of warmth in his palm, the pressure around his hand and the bright smile on the other man’s face left him with a feeling better than every instance of the real thing put together.

“Dang…you’re amazin’..” It wasn’t until red eyes were looking at him with a quirked brow that Steelbeak realized he’d said those words out loud. He felt his whole face go red and he looked away in embarrassment, trying to recover from his slip of the tongue. “I mean, you’re, y’know, amazin’ at this skatin’ stuff! Haha, yeah, that’s it! Dunno how ya can do it so good with no shoes on or nothin’!”

When he hazarded a glance back at his partner, he saw the aquatic fowl was looking at him with an amused smirk. “Uh huh.” He said sarcastically before guiding both of them around another turn. “If you’re really interested,” The teasing tone of his voice clearly communicated that he knew the other wasn’t actually **that** interested in it. “It’s mostly because of how much I’ve practiced.” They got around the turn and started skating back the other way, the loon even showing off a little by skating backwards so he could face his partner properly as they talked. “My base up north was in a colder climate and we dealt with snow and ice quite a bit throughout the year. I spent a lot of time on breaks and between missions going out for walks and skating on the lake nearby. It was refreshing after spending so long cooped up in the academy.”

Feeling that the embarrassed flush on his cheeks had calmed down significantly, Steelbeak regarded the loon curiously. “Thought ya said your academy was up north, too?”

The amused smile on Domino’s face quickly turned to a grimace at the mention of his old training camp. “Yes, but I only ever got to go outside for training exercises..the instructor kept me too busy for anything else..”

“Real stick in the mud, huh?” Now Steelbeak really WAS interested.

“More like a thorn in my side.” The grimace turned into a full-blown scowl as he spoke, still keeping an even pace across the ice. “I don’t know what I did to piss him off, but the general in charge of my class had it out for me from day one: He always singled me out for extra work to do around the base, so I never had time to study. When I started my firearms training he shot me in the leg and gave the excuse of ‘The first thing to train on is how to handle BEING shot’. Not to mention he took **every** opportunity to hit me from behind or pull out my feathers.” He rubbed at his head with his free hand, clearly remembering the feeling all too well. “Then, even after I passed my final exams with some of the best marks in my class, he STILL refused to give me my agent status and tried to make me an eggman.”

“Geez, what a prick.” Steelbeak was scowling now, too. “What’s the guy’s name?” He’d have to pay the jerk a visit sometime in the future, maybe see if he could pull a few strings to have him reassigned or put on a suicide mission or something..

“General Rover.” Domino huffed and shook his head. “I already-”

“Wait, wait, wait- hold it!” Steelbeak cut him off before he could continue, his earlier scowl replaced with a curious look bordering on bewilderment. “General Rover? As in General ‘Red’ Rover? Old dog, dark brown-but-kinda-red fur, some sorta Australian breed?” He moved a finger vertically over his left eye with his free hand. “Real bad scar right about here? Eye’s kinda milky lookin’ an’ don’t work that well?”

Domino looked a little baffled, but nodded nonetheless. “Yes, that’s him. Was he a friend of yours or-?”

The loon was interrupted once again, though this time it was by Steelbeak laughing so hard that he had to stop and grab the bars of the fence at the end of their path rather than turn as they had been. “You’re pullin’ my leg!” He wheezed out between his uncontrollable fits of laughter. “I-I’m dyin’! Oh-ho man, I’m dyin’ here!”

Domino eyed the taller man with a look somewhere between confusion and caution, likely thinking the other was in the process of losing his mind with how hysterical he was acting. “I think I’m missing the joke here..”

Steelbeak made an effort to calm down, he really did, but the whole thing was just so FUNNY that the best he could do was look at his confused partner with a face-splitting grin and gasp out a few words here and there between barely-restrained chuckles. “That..That’s the chump whose wallet I stole!!”

Red eyes blinked and widened in surprise. “Wait, are you **serious**?”

“Yeah!” Steelbeak tapped the eye that he’d indicated earlier. “I gave the old dog that scar when I was a kid! Cut ‘im an’ left my knife right in his eye- messed the old dog up for life!”

“That was **_YOU_**?” Domino’s confusion was quickly turning into amusement. “Wow…what are the _chances_?”

“I know, right?!” It still took a few more deep breaths for the rooster’s fit to finally stop. “O-ho man, that’s the best laugh I’ve had all night.” He used his free hand to wipe a stray tear from his eyes before looking at the darker bird with a grin. “Yeah, I think the guy’s got a problem with birds or somethin’, and what happened with **_me_** probably didn’t help any- sorry ya got the fallout from it.”

“Don’t, it wasn’t your fault he was a terrible person- I’m fairly certain he’s ALWAYS been like that.” The loon shook his head with a chuckle, a deadly smirk slipping onto his beak. “Well..I suppose I should say he **_was_** like that..”

Steelbeak smirked back at his partner, already getting an idea of what happened from that blood-thirsty gleam in the other bird’s eyes. “Ya blew up on the guy didn’t ya, short fuse?”

“Making me an eggman was the last straw.” The short-tempered bird sighed with a tone of mock sympathy. “He just pushed me one too many times. Such a _tragic_ accident.”

“I can hear the world weepin’ over it.” Steelbeak matched the other’s mock-pity before they both broke the façade and started to chuckle and snicker again. “Wish I could’ve been there t’ see it.”

“Do you remember the man that grabbed my shoulder in the hall right after we started working together?” He continued when he received a nod from the taller bird. “Imagine that, but about fifty times worse.”

If Steelbeak had less self-control, then he would’ve trilled at the other’s words- the more sadistic side of his mind just adored what his partner was capable of (as long as he wasn’t the target of it, of course). “O-ho-ho, you DESTROYED ‘im, didn’t ya? C’mon, c’mon: I need _details_.”

“Well, if you insist.” Domino smirked as he began to recount the full story of how he brutally attacked his former instructor/tormentor.

Steelbeak had every intention of listening, too, more than happy to hear all the gory details…but a spec of red on the shorter bird’s shoulder distracted him. Normally he wouldn’t think anything odd about seeing red on his partner since it was one of the main accents on his usual outfit, but the loon wasn’t wearing **any** red tonight. What was even more out of place was the fact that it was moving like a bug, going up from his shoulder towards his head, but he couldn’t see any legs or wings moving. If anything, it looked more like a la-

“MOVE!” He acted without thinking and practically tackled the darker bird.

If what he saw didn’t kill him, his partner probably would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I ever write a story where these two don’t end up in some kind of danger?…Probably not x3
> 
> Also, just wanted to add that I consulted Eleanorose123 regarding the general from Domino’s training days to get a better idea of what a jerk he was and was granted free reign to come up with a name and design for him. I went with the name “Red” Rover to fit in with the children’s game theme that seems to follow any OC’s associated with Domino’s past x3 He’s an Australian Kelpie with dark brownish-red fur, contributing to his nickname.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much for a peaceful, quiet evening. With their date and their lives in danger, Domino and Steelbeak work together to find their attacker before he finds them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for another classic spy movie-style scene complete with some minor bloodshed and unnamed character death! >:D

Dominic had no idea what happened for a minute. One moment he’d been telling his partner about what he did to his former academy instructor, and the next Steelbeak was suddenly rushing towards him.

He was now on his back on the ground behind a pair of large trees and a few surrounding shrubs. He felt pressure on top of him and soon realized it was Steelbeak, who’d landed on top of him on the ground.

“What have I said about **touching** me?!” Dominic snapped as he easily shoved the other bird off of him and pinned him to the back of one of the nearby trees. He grabbed the collar of the rooster’s shirt in one hand, the other curled into a fist primed and ready to hit the other’s face repeatedly. “ ** _You_** , of all people, should know better than **ANYONE** -!!” He saw red, but not in the usual figurative sense. He **literally** saw red- it was on Steelbeak’s hand when he pulled it away from his upper arm with a pained hiss. There was a tear in the fabric of his right sleeve that allowed him to see a bleeding gash. It was too straight and far too clean to have come from a branch or stick from the surrounding foliage, it looked more like- “!!” Dominic let his partner go in favor of drawing and loading one of his pistols, looking around for anything out of the ordinary. “What did you see?”

“Laser sight on ya from your left- started at the shoulder and went up towards your head.” Steelbeak wiped his hand off on the grass below them to get rid of the excess blood before reaching into his pants’ pocket. “Didn’t have time t’ see where it came from.”

“Must have been one of the buildings down the street..” Dominic glanced to his partner and saw him take out a handkerchief, preparing to wrap it around his wound. “…….” He reached into his own pockets and pulled out a familiar glass vial. “Here.” He popped it open and put a few drops over the middle of the handkerchief.

Steelbeak eyed the vial curiously, clearly smelling the minty scent in the air. “You gonna tell me it’s a healing serum now?” He asked while tying the handkerchief around his arm using his left hand and his beak.

“Not exactly,” Dominic closed the vial and stuck it back in his pocket, peeking around their cover to look for any movement in the nearby buildings. “But it does have some anti-bacterial properties and should at least keep you from getting strepto or staphylococcus until we can treat it properly.”

“Good ‘nough for me.” Steelbeak peeked out from between the trees cautiously. “So, can ya tell where the guy is?”

Glancing down at where they were on the ice a couple minutes ago, Dominic spotted a crack in the ice a couple feet away but no bullet lodged in the surface, so it must have ricocheted. “No, I don’t have a clear angle to backtrack the shot’s trajectory.” He shook his head, tying his scarf back in place around his neck as he tried to think up a plan.

“Hm..” Steelbeak took a look at the park around them, paying particularly close attention to the trees. “How many shots would ya need t’ figure it out?”

“Three or four, ideally.” He responded automatically before the question fully sunk in. “Wait, don’t you _dare_ -!”

“I can get ya three.” By the time he turned to face the taller bird, he was already preparing to run. “Just keep those pretty eyes of yours on the target!” And then he took off before Dominic had a chance to stop him.

Despite his reservations on the idea, Dominic did as he was told and stayed in place while keeping his eyes open for any signs of the shooter. It was a solid, effective plan, but it was also incredibly risky. One wrong turn or slip and it would be all over for Steelbeak. Not too mention the fact that, if he couldn’t accurately pinpoint the sniper’s location, his partner would be left out in a much more compromising position with significantly less cover- he was essentially putting his life in Dominic’s hands.

As he watched Steelbeak sprint towards another cluster of trees nearby, the rooster keeping his movements serpentine and erratic to make himself a more difficult target, Dominic saw some dirt a few feet away get kicked up. The first shot. The angle of the bullet in the ground was particularly steep, so that meant a shorter distance and greater height- ruling out any of the buildings that were less than five stories high or further than the first two streets he could see.

Steelbeak tucked and rolled behind a cluster of smaller trees, some leaves falling around him in the process. Dominic spotted a red dot moving across the leaves then, just an inch behind Steelbeak’s neck as he ran, he saw a trail of the leaves change their fall-path. The second shot. The disturbed leaves were being blown towards the right and he spotted a couple of them with damage on one side- both factors suggesting that the shot came from somewhere to the left.

Looking at the buildings on the left that would have a good vantage point of the park with high enough elevation, Dominic noted that there were only two possibilities within the appropriate distance: A six-story apartment complex and a half-constructed twelve-story corporate office building.

Keen eyes stayed on the pair of buildings, flicking between the two for even the smallest sign-

There.

It was brief, but he caught a glimpse of movement on the roof of the office building and saw a tiny red light gleaming from the same area right as he heard the third shot clip the trunk of the large tree that Steelbeak dove behind for cover.

Now that he had the location, Dominic sprung into action.

Pulling out his second pistol and loading it with a different type of ammo from his stash, he lined up the shot and fired. A small white sphere flew out of his gun with a trail of gray smoke trailing behind it, eventually falling in a gradual arch so that it landed right in front of the tree Steelbeak was hiding behind. Within an instant the sphere exploded in a blinding burst of white light.

Shielding his eyes with his forearm, Dominic ran towards the park gate with Steelbeak following not far behind him. “They’re at the construction site on Third Street- up on the roof. Also,” Once they reached the gate and the rooster was close enough, he reached over with one of his pistols and used it to give the taller bird a swat on his uninjured arm. “Don’t **_ever_** do that again.”

“Ow!” Steelbeak rubbed at the likely-bruising spot on his arm, but, despite the slight sting, he still had his usual grin on his face. “What’s the big deal? It worked, right?”

Dominic shot the other man a glare as they hurried out of the park and back to his car. “You could have gotten yourself killed running off like that.”

“Nah, I knew I’d be fine-” His partner said confidently as they got into the vehicle. Dominic was about to snap at him for being overconfident in his own abilities while he started the car- “-‘cause YOU were the one watchin’ my back.”

“……” For the second time that night, Dominic was grateful for his darker feathers that hid the warmth blooming across his cheeks. Why did he always end up falling for crazy and reckless men who still managed to be so sweet and trusting? Apparently he just had a type.. “You should still be more careful.” He sighed and shook his head, driving towards the construction site.

As he drove, he noticed that Steelbeak was keeping his focus on the building ahead, likely keeping an eye out for any signs that their assailant was trying to escape. “How ya wanna handle this, Dee?”

“Divide and corner them.” He replied, finding a spot along the side of the building to park the car when they arrived. “Find all possible routes to the roof, close off as many of them as possible, then corner them when they have nowhere else to run.”

The duo snuck inside through an unactivated fire exit that was left open- likely being the entrance the sniper themself used- and double-checked it for any traps before heading in. Once they were inside Dominic pulled out his guns, Steelbeak untucking his shirt and pulling his own revolver out from the waistband of his pants. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who decided to pack a little extra heat for their date. Good, Dominic appreciated not being the only one who was well prepared for the evening.

“There’s gonna be a floor map down here somewhere.” Steelbeak told him as he looked around. “Tells ya what’s workin’ an’ what’s not.” After a few seconds of searching, he stopped at a wrinkled map taped to the wall. “Jackpot.” He took a moment to study the sketched and scribbled-over blueprints before tapping at two different spots. “There’s only one elevator with power goin’ to it right now…and this staircase’s the only one goin’ all the way t’ the top without takin’ a buncha detours.” He went on to tap a few other staircases on the map. “And these’re the only ones connected t’ the ground floor.”

“Impressive.” Dominic nodded as he listened, looking over each point on the layout.

“What can I say? Ya sleep in enough construction sites, ya learn a few things.” The rooster replied with a smirk before looking back down at his partner. “What’re ya packin’?”

Taking a moment to think it over, Dominic counted each type of ammo off on his fingers as he spoke. “Fire, ice, lead, flares, slime, and a few gas rounds.” Considering their options and the best course of action, the loon swapped the ammo in one of his guns to the slime shots before handing a single darker casing- one of his poisoned gas rounds- off to Steelbeak. “Take the elevator up and set this off once you reach the top- that should keep them from taking it back down. I’ll boobytrap the minor staircases then meet you up top on the main one.” He gave the taller bird a stern glare, his voice low as it took on a strict, warning tone. “Do NOT engage them until I get up there. Is that clear?”

Steelbeak took the offered bullet, rolling his eyes a little at the other bird’s tone of voice. “Yeah, yeah, I got it, red eyes: Don’t start the party without ya.”

“And don’t get into any trouble before I can bail you out.” Dominic gave the rooster another smack on the side of his arm with his pistol before heading towards the stairs. “I’ll meet you at the top.”

“Lookin’ forward to it.” Was the last he heard from his partner as the rooster made his way to the elevator.

Dominic went to each of the indicated stairways and made sure to thoroughly coat a good number of the stairs and handrails in sticky green slime that shot from his gun, keeping lead bullets in the other just in case he ran into their attacker. Luckily, he made it through the smaller stairwells without incident and took the main one up as quickly as he could. Hopefully he would get there before-

The silence of the stairwell was broken by a series of loud gunshots.

Had it not been for the guns currently being held in them, at least one hand would have met Dominic’s forehead in record speed. “I honestly don’t know _why_ I expected any different..” He heaved an annoyed sigh and quickly ascended the final steps to the exit at the top.

Opening the door to the roof, Dominic kept his guns drawn and ready. The rooftop was a large, flat, dimly lit area that was currently being used to store crates and stacks of extra building materials as well as the machinery used for lifting heavier loads to the upper floors. After hearing another gunshot, the loon took cover behind a stack of loosely tied together metal pipes.

Peering out cautiously to get his bearings, he saw Steelbeak near the far edge of the roof. The other bird was currently engaged in a firefight with a male pitbull in a suit. While the dog’s large rifle was far more powerful, the light weight of Steelbeak’s own revolver made it easier for him to maneuver around the obstacles set up on the roof and get off more shots before ducking behind a stack of crates for cover. Dominic was fully prepared to go in and give his partner some backup-

“Did ya REALLY have t’ go an’ do this TONIGHT?!” Steelbeak took the opportunity to reload his gun, a scowl visible on his face from Dominic’s position. “I mean, seriously- ya couldn’t wait ‘til tomorrow or somethin’?!” He peered out from behind the corner of a crate, quickly ducking back behind it to avoid a shot that grazed the side of the box. “Any other day of the week, and I might’ve let ya walk away with a couple missin’ limbs..but you just HAD t’ go and ruin my friggin’ date night!” Looking around, he found a hammer that had been left out and tossed it over the crates to create a distraction.

The pit bull fell for it all too easily, shooting at the object reflexively but growling in frustration when he realized he’d been tricked. “ _Date night_?” The words were spat venomously as he tried to tell where the rooster had run off to while he’d been distracted. “You monsters slaughter an entire squadron of my comrades then go on a date to celebrate?!”

“Lemme tell ya somethin’, pal: When the guy you’ve been pinin’ after for nearly **TWO MONTHS** asks **_YOU_** out on a date, ya don’t go tellin’ ‘im ‘ **no** ’ just ‘cause ya killed a few nobodies last night.” The dog turned quickly when he heard Steelbeak’s voice beside him, but it was already too late. The mouth of a long-barreled .38 revolver was pressed against the side of his head and a pair of dark eyes were glaring down at him menacingly. “I have been waitin’ a long time- a **REAL** long time- t’ make this happen.” The enemy agent’s flimsy attempt to fight back by hitting the tall fowl with the butt of his gun failed almost instantly when Steelbeak used his free hand to grab the dog’s elbow and apply enough pressure to make him drop his weapon. “I’ve tried harder t’ get this guy’s attention then I have with literally every broad I’ve ever dated put together ‘cause he’s somethin’ **_special_**.” As he spoke, he steadily forced the cornered dog closer to the edge of the roof. “He’s wicked smart, good lookin’- gorgeous, really-, the sharpest guy I know, and he’s got a sarcastic, twisted sense of humor I just can’t seem t’ get enough of. Basically, he’s the total package and I **REALLY** wanna make this work with him, y’know?” He now had the much more nervous looking S.H.U.S.H. agent backed all the way to the edge. “And I’m not gonna let some two-bit revenge-obsessed chump ruin this for me, capiche?”

“You know, it’s almost sweet hearing you talk like that.” Dominic emerged from his hiding place and approached the two men on the other side of the roof.

Steelbeak turned his head just enough to glance back at his partner, the loon catching a trace of red under the other’s off-white cheek feathers. “Aw, geez- you heard all that?”

“Every word.” He replied with a smirk, thoroughly enjoying the way the red color spread across the rooster’s cheeks. “Though I _am_ still disappointed you started without me.”

“Hey now, I didn’t start **nothin’**!” The taller bird stated defensively. “This guy-” He jabbed his gun further against the pit bull’s head in indication. “-caught me comin’ outta the dang elevator an’ tried t’ blow my head clean off!” He rolled his eyes with a scowl. “Seriously, no banter, no conversation- just no courtesy with this one.”

“I showed you the same courtesy you showed my brother when you shot and used him for camouflage, you murderer!” The dog growled as he glared up at the rooster, his earlier nerves being replaced with fury. “I was monitoring the remote security feed last night- I saw everything you did to my brother and the rest of our squadron!” He turned his glare in Dominic’s direction. “My original plan was to kill the monster responsible for most of my comrades’ deaths-” His furious eyes returned to Steelbeak. “-and make YOU suffer with the pain of being left alone- just like me!”

Neither of the F.O.W.L. agents were moved by the other man’s emotional outburst- if anything, they just looked bored.

“Wooooow, how original.” Steelbeak’s tone practically dripped with sarcasm. “This guy’s real unique, ain’t he, Dom?”

“A once in a lifetime find.” Dominic’s attitude matched his partner’s perfectly. “It’s uncanny, though- I could swear I’ve already heard that same speech _fifty times_ this year.”

The deadly duo glanced at each other, maintaining their bored, deadpan expressions for a moment more before simultaneously breaking into a fit of laughter with matching wicked grins.

Once his laughter died down a bit, Steelbeak looked at the confused and affronted agent with an amused chuckle. “Look, buddy, in our line of work, ya hear one revenge monologue, ya heard ‘em all. You’re just another sad loser in a LONG line of failures.”

“The only thing we **_might_** remember you for will be how you interrupted an otherwise lovely evening.” Dominic sighed, rolling his eyes.

Rage and indignation were clear on the enemy agent’s face when he bared his fangs at them with a snarl. “Maybe you’ll remember **THIS**!!” The hand furthest from Steelbeak moved, pulling out an extremely small .32 Beretta pocket pistol and moving with clear intent to shoot the fowl beside him.

“!!!” Dominic moved on instinct, instantly raising one of his own pistols and shooting the pit bull in his shoulder.

The action accomplished its goal of stopping the enemy’s attempt at shooting his partner, but the impact sent him off-balance. Flailing as he began to fall, the S.H.U.S.H. agent grabbed the back of Steelbeak’s shirt on his way down.

“Oh cr-!” The swear barely had time to leave the rooster’s beak before he started to topple over the edge, too.

Dominic felt his heart stop and his eyes widen.

Falling..

Steelbeak was falling…

He was falling and would di-

“NO!!” The loon’s legs were already sprinting forward before his mind could catch up, his precious pistols falling from his hands.

In that moment, everything felt like it was moving in slow motion.

He saw Steelbeak falling backwards as he ran across the roof to close the gap between them. Along the way, he scooped a hammer up off of the ground (the same one that Steelbeak had tossed earlier, but he was too distracted to realize it at the moment) without breaking his stride and, with the other hand, pulled his scarf from his neck. Hands working as quickly as his feet, he managed to tie the hammer to one end of the scarf and wrap the other around his left hand twice before reaching the edge. At the last moment before he’d reached the edge, Dominic slid onto his knees and tossed the weighted end of his scarf down towards his partner, bracing his free hand against the ledge.

This had to work! He couldn’t lose him! Not now, not like this-!

Off-white fingers grabbed onto the dark purple fabric and held on for dear life. “Nh!” Steelbeak winced when the sudden interruption of his downward momentum resulted in him slamming into the side of the building, but his grip stayed firm.

Relief quieted Dominic’s racing mind when he looked down at the other man suspended in the air below him, causing him to let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Hold on.”

“Trust me, Dom- I ain’t goin’ nowhere.” Dominic never thought he’d be so happy to hear the other man’s sarcastic remarks but, right now, it was like music to his ears. With a grunt and a combined effort from both parties, Steelbeak was hoisted back up onto the roof. Once he was safe and sound, both fowls collapsed into a seated position next to each other while catching their breath. “You..are gonna tell me..where..ya got **this** -” Steelbeak gasped as his breath evened out, holding up the loon’s scarf in his right hand. “-and me an’ you are goin’ shoppin’…‘cause I need t’ buy at least FIVE of these things.” He had a huge grin spread across his face, the beginnings of a laugh evident in his voice. “I don’t care what it costs or where you got it- I’ll borrow a jet if I gotta- this thing was worth EVERY penny!”

With a smile on his own beak, Dominic nodded agreeably. “Sure..that can be our next date.”

“So I’m already gettin’ a second date?” The lighter bird asked coyly, even wiggling his eyebrows in an over the top comically flirtatious manner.

That was all it took for both of them to start laughing hysterically- the kind of laughter that follows surviving a near-death experience unscathed when the heart-stopping adrenaline wears away and leaves a person feeling giddy and lightheaded. It lasted for several minutes, leaving them gasping and panting for breath all over again, but in a far more pleasant way.

Looking at his partner while the other snickered quietly and wiped tears away on his wine colored sleeve, Dominic felt a soothing, gentle warmth flowing through his veins. To be here, next to Steelbeak, and to still be able to see that smile and hear that odd laugh, it was one of the best things he’d felt in a long time.

With a gentle smile on his face, he moved his left hand just enough to give the scarf still wrapped around it a light tug.

The motion was just enough to be felt by Steelbeak, earning his attention. When he saw the smile on the loon’s face his own grin softened as well and he pulled the hammer out of the loose loop in the purple fabric. It only took a moment for him to untie it and wrap his end of the scarf twice around his right hand and give it an answering tug in return.

They sat there quietly, simply gazing into each other’s eyes and enjoying the light pressure around their palms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a fun little emotion and adrenaline fueled roller coaster of a chapter x3 I’m not the best at writing action scenes, but for times like these they are still fun to write ^/////^”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a long, fun night, but all good things must come to an end. Domino ends the night by walking Steelbeak to the door and learning two more interesting secrets about his date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They’ve survived the first date! Hooray xD Time to finish off this sweet story with a final does of fluff. Enjoy!

It was just after 2:00 AM when the F.O.W.L. agents finally returned home. After taking the trip back down the stairs to the ground floor, making sure the S.H.U.S.H. agent was dead (they REALLY hoped there wouldn’t be any more vengeance-seeking siblings in the future, this one was annoying enough), digging a ditch and filling it over with concrete to hide the body, properly treating Steelbeak’s arm, and driving to their apartment complex, they were both more than ready to call it a night.

Figuring that they’d started the evening separately, they decided it was only appropriate they end it together and took the elevator up from the underground parking deck in a comfortable silence. It had been a while since either of them had the chance to walk a date all the way home and, considering they lived right next door to each other, the experience provided more than a little amusement for the pair once they’d reached their floor.

“So,” Steelbeak chuckled as he walked with Dominic out of the elevator. “Who’s gettin’ dropped off at the door?”

Side-eyeing the taller bird with a quiet laugh of his own, Dominic shrugged in a joking attempt at casual indifference. “Seeing as **_I_** was the one who asked **_you_** out, I suppose it’s **_my_** responsibility to make sure you get home safely.”

“Wow, what a gentleman- I’m swoonin’ over here.” Steelbeak pressed the back of one hand to his forehead dramatically and used the other to fan himself, making both of them grin and share a laugh at his antics. When they reached his door, however, the lighter bird’s grin lessened slightly. “..Hey…” He turned to look at his partner properly, leaning back against his still locked front door. “Sorry ‘bout earlier..y’know..in the park..?”

Dominic had been wondering when this would come up. “Don’t be.” He shook his head with a reluctant half-smile. “As much as I hate being saved **and** being touched…you did the right thing in that situation.”

That, at least, seemed to ease some of the other man’s worries slightly. “How ‘bout we call it even with you savin’ my tail on the roof?”

“Sure, we’ll call it even.” Just as he was about to bid Steelbeak farewell for the evening, a thought occurred to Dominic. “Huh..”

“What’s up?” The taller fowl asked curiously, looking at the red-eyed bird’s slightly surprised expression.

“I was about to say ‘goodnight Steelbeak’,” Dominic explained, looking up at his partner curiously. “But then I realized that I haven’t called you ‘Steelbeak’ all night because, well..” He tapped his own beak in indication. “I’m not really sure what to call you right now.”

With everything they’d been through tonight, it was a bit silly to be thinking about it at the end, but he couldn’t help it. Aside from his surprised exclamation when he first saw the rooster in the parking deck, he hadn’t referred to Steelbeak AS “Steelbeak” all night simply because it felt odd doing so without his usual prosthesis. (Though it was admittedly impressive how long they were able to converse with one another without the chief officer’s name coming into question sooner.)

“Oh..” The rooster in question stood up a bit straighter, running his hand over his neck feathers with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Thing is…legally, I don’t got a REAL name- accordin’ t’ the government, I don’t technically _exist_ …just kinda been ‘Steelbeak’ since I joined F.O.W.L.…” Ah, well, that certainly made sense- “But…” He glanced away, a very small smile lifting the corners of his mouth as he spoke. “My old man..sometimes, when he wasn’t callin’ me ‘runt’ or ‘squirt’ or ‘little pain in my tail feathers’……he’d..call me ‘Pauly’.” Looking back down into the loon’s eyes hesitantly, he moved his hand up and around to brush back his comb. “So, if you were serious ‘bout wantin’ t’ do this again sometime..then I wouldn’t mind if ya wanted t’ call me ‘Pauly’ when it’s just the two of us.”

A curious tilt of the head accompanied the fond smile that found its way to Dominic’s beak. “Of course I was serious about going out again. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Steelbeak rolled his eyes a little, a slightly forced smile on his own prosthetic beak. “There _were_ a few ‘ **complications** ’ at the end there..”

“In our line of work, ‘complications’ are an everyday occurrence- it could have happened just as easily if I went out with someone else tonight.” The loon replied calmly with a shrug. “It was something neither of us were responsible for and was no one’s fault. Neither of us ended up in the hospital and, as far as I’m concerned, that means this date was a success- I’d even go so far as to rank it within my top five best dates.”

“Seriously, Dom? Not windin’ up in the hospital? **THAT’S** where ya set the bar?” A much more genuine smile lit up the larger bird’s face as he chuckled. “If I’d known your standards were that low, I’d’ve asked ya out ages ago!”

“Normally, they would be much higher, but-” The smile on the darker bird’s beak shifted into one of his more captivating smirks as he leaned closer, catching his partner off guard and causing those dark eyes of his to widen slightly in surprise. “- ** _you_** just happen to meet **_all_** of my standards.” To end his statement, a dark finger reached up and trailed along the other’s plastic beak, gliding smoothly forward on the lower mandible before sliding up to rest on the tip of the upper mandible. It was an odd sensation, feeling cool plastic where there should have been warm keratin, but it was different enough that it didn’t feel _quite_ like touching another person and, surprisingly, didn’t set off that uncomfortable feeling in the back of his mind. He briefly wondered if he’d have a similar reaction to the usual metallic prosthesis. He might have to try some time to find out..

A soft sound caught the loon’s attention. The general tone was familiar, but just a touch too high and with a slight vibration to it that-

**Oh**.

Oh, this was TOO good.

The sound was coming from **Steelbeak**.

The rooster had a completely blissful expression on his face as he subconsciously leaned into the contact, his eyes half closed as he continued emitting the soft sounds. _Trilling_. Steelbeak had actually started **_trilling_** , just from having his partner touch his false beak with a single fingertip.

After a moment, though, he finally seemed to notice the darker bird’s staring and realized what he was doing. “!!!” Standing up ramrod straight against his front door to put at least an extra inch of space between them, Dominic could easily see red all over the rooster’s face as his feathers all fluffed up at once. “G-Geez, Dom, give a guy a warnin’ next time, will ya?!”

“Sorry,” He really wasn’t sorry at all- in fact, he was making a mental note to remember that little weakness next time they had a disagreement about something. “Given your level of ‘experience’, I didn’t think such a simple touch would get you so worked up- I would have thought you had _higher standards_.”

Off-white feathers slowly settled back into place. “Normally, it wouldn’t get t’ me that easily..” A grin tugged at the corner of his beak as he finally met the loon’s red eyes again. “Guess **_you_** just happen t’ meet all of **_my_** standards.”

Dominic grinned back at the slightly less flustered bird. “What a fortunate coincidence.” They shared a quiet laugh before the aquatic fowl started heading towards his own front door. “Since I’m not the type to kiss on the first date, I’m afraid this is goodnight.”

“Aww, an’ here I was ready t’ bust out the ruby red lipstick and everything.” Steelbeak chuckled, pulling out his keys. “Hm..” He paused, however, once they were in the lock, and turned his head to the side to look at Dominic. “Hey, we don’t gotta do that whole ‘wait three days t’ talk to each other’ thing, do we?”

Dominic, who was in the process of pulling out his own keys and unlocking his front door, looked over to his partner with a cocked brow. “Given both our living and work situations, I think that would be nearly impossible.”

“Heh, good- always thought that rule was stupid.” The lighter fowl said while opening his door. “Y’know, if you’re hungry in the mornin’, I’m gonna make some sweet potato egg boats for brunch.”

Red eyes quickly zeroed in on Steelbeak’s body language: The hand still gripping the doorknob was tense. His posture was a touch _too_ straight, almost rigid. Dark eyes were avoiding eye contact by trying to look around casually. His jaw was shifting slightly, suggesting that he was probably chewing his tongue or grinding his teeth to avoid saying anything else.

He was clearly still trying to be more open and natural, but was anxious about “saying the wrong thing”. While he could do without the anxiety-filled undertone, Dominic felt that the effort the other man put forth was nothing if not endearing and it earned a slight smile for his trouble.

“You know, I’ve never actually tried those before.” In all honesty, it had been a while since he’d dated someone whom he could also see and hang out with in a more casual manner- the thought of doing so actually brought back memories of sharing meals together at his old base with his previous partner and the joy he felt during those simple, every day interactions. “What time should I come over?”

“I ain’t rollin’ outta bed ‘til at least ten.” The rooster replied, shuddering at the thought of getting up any earlier. “Eleven sound good?”

“That sounds perfect.” Sparing one last look at his partner, Dominic gave him a wink and a coy smile just for the fun of seeing that bit of red on the lighter bird’s cheeks. “Goodnight, Pauly.”

Hearing the loon say his name had Steelbeak practically beaming despite the more than apparent blush on his cheeks. “Night, Dominic.”

And with that, Dominic walked into his apartment and locked the door behind himself, a content smile still on his face. That smile quickly turned into an amused grin when he heard a loud, excited crowing coming from the apartment next door. Quickly placing a hand over his beak to keep himself from laughing out loud and inadvertently letting his neighbor know that he’d been heard, that now-familiar warmth bloomed in his chest one more time that evening.

On the way back to his own room to prepare for bed, the aquatic fowl took the time to reflect on how well his date had gone. Steelbeak had proven to be an excellent flirt while still being easily worked up in all the best ways, had a genuine interest in Dominic on a personal level, and was someone he could spend literal hours talking to without losing interest. If tonight was any indication for how this newfound relationship with his partner would progress, then Dominic was glad he’d decided to give Steelbeak- no, **_Pauly_** , he reminded himself- a chance.

This was the start of something new and exciting- for _both_ of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is something that I’ve been itching to write ever since I finished my first SteelDomino story and I am so glad I finally got the chance to do it ^.^ Big thank you to Eleanorose123 for requesting and allowing me to continue writing for this amazing OC- I have many more plans for him in the future whenever I get the chance to write him again ^.^
> 
> Also, bonus information for anyone interested: Trilling is essentially a chicken’s version of purring when they’re extremely happy/content and is super cute x3 As for the name “Pauly”, I mentioned this in my F.O.W.L. Facets fic, but I came up with Pauly as Steelbeak’s “real” name after thinking about how he’s one of the villains whose real name is never revealed- I took a page from Quackerjack’s book with how most fans decided his name is Jack Bell because of his voice actor’s last name, and got Pauly from Steelbeak’s original voice actor Rob Paulsen because it felt suitable for him :)


End file.
